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Movies / On DVD / Lagaan
Lagaan

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Lagaan (2001)

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Reviews Counted:59

Fresh:56

Rotten:3

Average Rating:7.9/10

Consensus: Lagaan is lavish, rousing entertainment in the old-fashioned tradition of Hollywood musicals.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for language and some violence

Runtime: 3 hrs 44 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release:May 8, 2002 Limited

Synopsis: Considered to be a modern classic of Indian cinema, LAGAAN is a musical drama which tells the story of a central Indian farming village in 1893. The village waits for the monsoons to come and rain... Considered to be a modern classic of Indian cinema, LAGAAN is a musical drama which tells the story of a central Indian farming village in 1893. The village waits for the monsoons to come and rain on its crops, but the ground remains dry and infertile. Meanwhile, British ruler Captain Russell (Paul Blackthorne) demands lagaan--or double normal taxes--from the villagers. When it becomes clear that they can't pay, Russell challenges the villagers to a game of cricket, a game they know nothing about. Teaching the villagers about the game falls on the shoulders of farmer Bhuvan (Aamir Khan). As they begin to learn, the villagers are inspired to go up against Russell, with tax negotiation as the stakes for the game. Full of choreographed musical numbers and climaxing in a pulse-pounding cricket match, LAGAAN is a fun, heartwarming British/Indian production that should have no difficulties translating across other national borders. [More]

Starring: Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne

Starring: Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne, Suhasini Mulay, Kulbhushan Kharbanda

Director: Ashutosh Gowariker

Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Screenwriter: Ashutosh Gowariker, Sanjay Dayma, Kumar Dave
Producer: Aamir Khan
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Dec 18, 2001

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Lagaan

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Will be the film all others in Bollywood are judged against, in terms of both creativity and success.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
08/03/08
Channel 4 Film

An involving, easily digestible hunk of pure entertainment that could be the trigger for Bollywood's long-awaited crossover to non-ethnic markets.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
07/24/08
Derek Elley
Derek Elley
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Few recent American musicals are this fluid or engaging.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
03/26/07
Mark Peranson
Mark Peranson
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

With an equally stunning soundtrack, this rollicking yarn is a must for all film lovers.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Ian Nathan
Ian Nathan
Empire Magazine

The film's got a big scope and a big heart, even taking time to decry class, social, and racial discrimination.

Full Review Source: Window to the Movies | comment Comment
07/22/04
Jeffrey Chen
Jeffrey Chen
Window to the Movies

A great big Bollywood musical, complete with song and dance and doomed love triangles and elegantly photographed men playing cricket. And it's terrific fun, in a way that only great big musical fantasies can be.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
12/31/03
Moira MacDonald
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times

A great introduction to the joys of Indian popular cinema.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
01/21/03
Chris Baker
Chris Baker
Film Threat

This is a lavish production that will remain a favourite for years to come.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/30/02
Nina Patel
Nina Patel
ViewLondon

If you're in the mood for a Bollywood film, here's one for you.

Full Review Source: San Diego Metropolitan | comment Comment
10/21/02
Jean Lowerison
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan

A skillfully made, good-natured movie.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
09/18/02
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

A good example of the 'masala' type of Indian filmmaking, where politics, romance, class consciousness and long musical numbers are stirred together in an entertaining stew.

Full Review Source: Charlotte Observer | comment Comment
09/13/02
Lawrence Toppman
Lawrence Toppman
Charlotte Observer

So fascinating, you may not notice how much time has passed when the credits finally roll.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
09/13/02
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

There's no denying that when this film is good, it's very good.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
08/02/02
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Even during the climactic hourlong cricket match, boredom never takes hold.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
07/26/02
Marc Mohan
Marc Mohan
Oregonian

After having seen this Cinemascope extravaganza in a theater, on DVD and video, I still think the big screen experience is worth it.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
07/20/02
Monica Eng
Monica Eng
Chicago Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The most deliriously entertaining movie of the summer.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
07/19/02
Joe Baltake
Joe Baltake
Sacramento Bee

It works its magic with such exuberance and passion that the film’s length becomes a part of its fun.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
07/19/02
F.X. Feeney
F.X. Feeney
L.A. Weekly

It seems impossible that an epic four-hour Indian musical about a cricket game could be this good, but it is.

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
07/15/02
Jim Lane
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review

Two hours of melodramatic musical married to two hours of underdog sports intrigue, if the picture also shares the weaknesses of both genres, more's the pity.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
07/06/02
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

...a rousing fantasy of bloodless revolution against capricious colonial rulers.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
07/05/02
Sean Axmaker
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
 
 
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